We shall double our turnover by 2017

Over the last three years, Mudo has undergone a major transformation. It has renewed its management cadre and strengthened its infrastructure. It has established a team who are more ambitious than in the past. MUSTAFA TAViLOGLU says that the transformation that they have realized will result in Mudo doubling in size over the next three years.

“For years they said that we would go under when Benetton and Zara arrived. But nothing of the sort has happened. Bring them on!” he says and adds: “Our turnover is currently TL 450 million and we shall double this by 2017.” We spoke with Mustafa Taviloglu, the founder of Mudo, about the latest situation in retailing and his dreams for the future of Mudo.

You have handed over the business to your son. How much are you involved in the business now? What are you interested in?
Until I underwent an operation, I was involved in product procurement for Mudo Concept. I used to go to trade fairs and choose products. Now I go to head office perhaps once every three months or so. I just work as an advisor developing new ideas with our Advisory Board. We have the most important board of advisers in Turkey.

Our Advisory Board provides Mudo with support and is composed of some of the most valuable names in Turkey, people who have really proved themselves with their successes in their fields. These colleagues all provide Mudo with their wholehearted support,

Can we say that you have effectively withdrawn from day-to-day business?
Yes, I have effectively withdrawn from day-to-day business. But every day I take a look at the business to see what they have done. Work is my hobby. My father used to follow the business right up until he died. I just don’t get involved in daily operations.

It is five months since I have been to the store in Akmerkez. Recently I have just been looking at things that will be beneficial, like a new distributor model. In any case, over the last three years we have established a management that I am proud of at Mudo. We have really invested a lot.~

What exactly has changed over the last three years?
I love working. In the future, the only thing that will satisfy me will be to see Mudo continuing without me. Throughout my life, they have always talked about a “one man show”. But the reality is not like this. In fact, there is no such thing anywhere in the world.

I worked very hard. But there was a very good team at Mudo apart from me. It is impossible to be successful without a team. We used to say “let’s create a corporation without taking any short cuts”. We didn’t employ anybody for emotional reasons. This is the kind of system we established.

For one thing, we made a terrific investment in people. People are the most important things in our lives. But today the importance of having the right people has increased even more. Technology now enables communications with everyone and everywhere. What is important is evaluating information.

Evaluating information requires quality. In order to ensure this, I implemented some terrific changes in personnel. I employed new people. Over the last three years, nearly 40 high level executives have joined Mudo. A very ambitious cadre has been established. This ambitious management has also created a very ambitious cadre for itself.

What else have you invested in?
Over the last three years we have made some major investments in stores. We have opened new stores. In these places we have invested in products and invisible technology. We now publish a digital magazine called Mudo Look. We have been very active on the internet. We reached the final in the Multichannel Retailer of the Year category at the World Retail Awards.

How many stores do you now have at Mudo? Are there plans to open some new stores?
We have reached a total of 116 stores. But we may close 4-5 of these. In a month’s time we shall open our store in Atagehir. It will be more than 4,000 square meters in size. We have a project for a 10.000 square meter store in Ayazaga. If it happens, it will be the largest store on the European side of Istanbul.

Are you planning any stores abroad?
This year we are starting to address demand from abroad. In the first stage we shall open three stores. We particularly want to proceed very soundly abroad. We had a very bad experience in Dubai. We learned a big lesson. I am not upset as a result. Business is not just about money. What is important is finding the right move to make. ~

In Dubai we formed a partnership with a very wealthy individual. But when someone does not look after the business then it is not successful. Retailing is not like banking. It is not enough just to multiply two times two to make four. Much more needs to be done.

How are you doing more?
It is not a miracle. First you do your job well and then you work hard. If you haven’t found a gold mine, come into money or inherited from your father then there is no miracle. I used to say that I will do my job well and then it will be possible for a miracle to happen. Less than one per cent of the people in my social circle have inherited money. But I am an artist. I am an artist of commerce. I engage in commerce like an art. I then reap the rewards. I always say this to my son Ömer. He also works day and night.

How did the idea to give distributorships come about?
Everyone who saw our stores wanted to buy the goods and sell them. We received a lot of requests from inside and outside the country. We eventually needed to expand into Anatolia and we wanted to develop a model to do this. Over the next two years, we are planning to give 40-50 distributorships for our Mudo Concept furniture and home décor brand.

Over the last 15 years, the global brand recognition of Mudo Concept has become very good. We are the guests of honor at trade fairs. Every day we receive requests. We have established a superb infrastructure. We deliver goods to 300-500 homes every day. We have reduced delivery problems to less than one per cent.

What are your plans for the future?
We always want to do the right thing. For the last 15 years I always said: “I don’t want to be a global brand. I want to be a Turkish brand.” Everybody that I said this to was surprised. I still think the same way today. If you cannot be a brand in Turkey then you cannot be one in the world.